When corps made the jump to Bb, why no marching horns?

[BrassClef]

Cross posted from the Brass forums:

As a horn major and recent age out who spent his summer behind a mellophone, I have to ask: When all the corps switched to Bb horns, why did they take the F mello over the Bb marching horn? I'm talking about this one:

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/winds/marchingbrass/frenchhorns/yhr-302m/?mode=model

I've been tooling around on one and I find it no more difficult than an F mellophone.

I ask this because when the entire REST of the horn line is in Bb, and on the same valve series us horns have to be on completely different series that sucks to try and tune.

It just got me wondering...

Edited December 30, 2010 by BrassClef

[skewerz]

to carry on the charade that you don't HAVE to be on Bb to win?

(actually, the answer probably has something to do with dollar signs...it usually does)

[Hrothgar15]

Most corps were using all mellophones in their alto voices by then, correct?

[Piper]

I think that it has something to do with the altos bridging the gap between the sops and the baris, but I'm not a brass guy so I'm not sure.

[Cainan]

I think what the OP is trying to say is why did corps stick purely with mellophones when there is now an option to add other unique brass voices that simply were not possible in G due to manufacturing restraints. If you look at it now, horn lines can be so much richer sounding in the middle voices by simply adding horns (French Horns that is) and flugel horns. But instead, corps continue to stick with the traditional sops, mellos, baris (an occasionally euphs) and contras... I say bring back the additional alto voices. Go listen to 80's horn lines... specifically the likes of Blue Devils and Freelancers, and listen to how much more rounded the alto voices are. There's really no comparison.

[Piper]

I think what the OP is trying to say is why did corps stick purely with mellophones when there is now an option to add other unique brass voices that simply were not possible in G due to manufacturing restraints. If you look at it now, horn lines can be so much richer sounding in the middle voices by simply adding horns (French Horns that is) and flugel horns. But instead, corps continue to stick with the traditional sops, mellos, baris (an occasionally euphs) and contras... I say bring back the additional alto voices. Go listen to 80's horn lines... specifically the likes of Blue Devils and Freelancers, and listen to how much more rounded the alto voices are. There's really no comparison.

I couldn't agree more. I remember when the mello first hit the scene. Corps were dropping their french horns like a bad habit. The mello is a wonderful instrument, but some frenchies and flugels would add to the sound of the alto voice.

[FHdork]

<Corps were dropping their french horns like a bad habit.>

More like: dropping their French Horns like a classroom full of special ed kids...or like the girl you all think is ugly once the head cheerleader arrives at the party...or like how kids walk 30 steps behind their parents when at the mall.

The French horn bugle perfectly bridged that gap between the sops and baris (trumpets and bari/euphs...) because the F.H. bugle plays an octave higher in the overtone series than all the other instruments. That is its strength and its beauty...and was also its downfall. That overtone thing means the notes are very close together. So, an F. horn bugler would play C on the staff...and the Bb right below and the D directly above were both open notes...both the exact same fingering. So the old joke was surprisingly close to being true: all the notes were the same fingering...a 'true' bugle. Trumpets and baritones don't find that kind of note closeness until they get to 'high' C.

Now, a Bb marching horn would be a slight bit different - it would not have notes of the same fingering a whole step apart until getting to top of the staff F. That would help both the startling tendency with which French horn buglers stumbled upon the wrong note...AND provide the kind of connective sound missing in today's corps.

As to why the current mellophones are in F? Simple: the lower key helps a bit with this issue...they DO help with the tonal gap. If all horns were in Bb, you'd hear trumpets...slightly fatter trumpets (perhaps one might call them 'whiny' trumpets {mellophones...], if they come from trumpeters and are taught by trumpeters...), baris, euphs, and tubas.

The F mello, being a far longer horn (a perfect 4th lower...ie: longer) will naturally have a deeper tone. So the F mello is, all in all, an elegant solution. Ideally, the French horn bugle would return, but we all know that because the activity is competitive, only a foolishly idealistic corps would voluntarily tie a 'kick me' sign to their horn line.